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Children's Center
Our Mission
The Children's Center at Montclair State University is a model of excellence in the inclusive early care and education of children from birth through 5 years. The Center is committed to examining and implementing the best practices of teaching and learning in a nurturing environment where children with disabilities learn, play and grow alongside their same-age peers.
In support of this mission, we have created a community where:
Children of differing abilities, needs, cultures, ethnicities, means and family structures are provided with developmentally appropriate activities and services, and where families, staff and university students understand and embrace the value of that diversity.
Future generations of professionals who care for children are educated through research, observation and hands-on experiences of the best practices in early childhood education and development, particularly in an inclusive environment.
Faculty and students engage in observation and reflection relating to child development, early education, inclusive learning and other related areas.
Families of children enrolled in the Center are provided with support, assistance and resources in the care and education of their children.
Our History
The Children's Center, which opened in September 2005, brought together three longstanding and proud programs:
The Demonstration Program began in the late 1960s when the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders saw an educational need for children who had severe communication disorders. It was influenced by the fields of speech-language pathology and learning disabilities as it pioneered cutting-edge practices, encouraged the community to do the same. By 1990 it was providing special education for three to five year olds with significant communication and regulation disorders. Many of these children showed developmental patterns that were consistent with the spectrum of autism. This strongly transdisciplinary program was influenced by the Developmental, Individual-differences, Relationship-based (DIR) approach developed by psychiatrist Stanley Greenspan and psychologist Serena Weider who were in turn influenced by occupational therapist and psychologist Georgia DeGangi and others.
The Jeffrey Dworkin Early Intervention Program began in 1981 when the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders saw the need to extend the work it was doing to children under the age of three. By the late 90's it was providing early intervention services to families in western Essex County in their homes and in other places where very young children and their families typically spend their time. This program was influenced by the field of early intervention that, as a whole, stresses family-centeredness, consultative transdisciplinary practices, and working in the naturally occurring environments and routines of
families.
The Child Care Center was opened in Feb 1989 under the Division of Student Development and Campus Life primarily as a service for the students of the University. The original Child Care Center was a one-room schoolhouse serving 20 children ages two and a half to six years of age. As the need for additional child care services became evident, the Center grew and expanded to meet those needs. It became a recruiting and retention tool for attracting students, faculty and staff to MSU and began providing early care and education employment opportunities for MSU students, as well as observation and fieldwork opportunities for students majoring in education.
The process for bringing these programs together began in 1994 with a group of faculty members studying inclusion of children with disabilities in general education settings, with the support of a grant from the New Jersey Network for Educational Renewal. This inclusion task force proposed several recommendations, one of which was the creation of the Children's Center as a premier inclusive early childhood care, education, and professional development facility. Through the support of President Cole, The College of Education and Human Services, The Center of Pedagogy, The University Foundation, and many generous donors we opened our doors in September of 2005.
Our Philosophy
Our philosophy, and therefore our curriculum is based on our understanding of how learning occurs. We believe that all members of our community (children, families, center faculty, and university students and faculty) are of promise and potential that is realized through collaborative inquiry, reflection, and attention to interactive and nurturing relationships. Our community, in turn, is enhanced as each of us grows.
The essential components of the Center’s philosophy are:
Understanding and embracing the value of diversity in individuals of differing abilities, needs, cultures, ethnicities, means and family structures is crucial.
This understanding and embracing is apparent in the interactions among children, families, employees and the community.
All children have the potential to construct and are capable of constructing their own understandings.
Children come with experiences and interests that are influenced by their lives inside and outside of the Center. Curriculum emerges from what the children and other members of the community bring to the Center. These interests are explored and extended through authentic, meaningful experiences and re-visited again and again to add new insights.
Trusting, long-term relationships are essential to growth.
Beautiful, inspirational environments are essential to learning and encourage activity, involvement, discovery and the use of a variety of media.
Transdisciplinary teamwork acknowledges the interrelatedness of developmental areas in the progressive growth of a child over time. At The Children’s Center we bring together educators, psychologists, speech-language specialists, occupational and physical therapists and music therapists in order to assess and plan for learning.
The process of learning for individuals and groups is documented by observation, recording and reflecting on experiences; using documentation makes learning visible.
This philosophy is informed by current theory and practice in areas including the following:
Deweyan notions of democratic education - Dewey saw democracy as more than just a form of government; according to him "...it is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience" (1916, p. 87). The essence of democracy is inclusiveness - everyone is recognized, utilized, and rewarded, both as an individual and as a member of the whole. His vision of democracy welcomes plurality and diversity and rejects barriers that exclude and divide (Cuffaro, 1995). See also Dewey, 1916; Mayhew & Edwards, 1965; Tanner, 1997; http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/ect/dewey.htm http://www.ul.ie/~philos/vol1/dewey.html
Constructivism - Briefly, constructivism is a theory about knowledge and learning that defines knowledge as temporary, developmental, socially and culturally mediated (Fosnot, 1993). Recently, in a move away from the individualism inherent in Piagetian constructivism, the notion that learning is context-dependent and socially mediated has gained currency (see, for example, Vygotsky, The Problem of the Cultural Development of the Child, 1929). This approach argues against general human cognitive skills, instead contending "that cognition is [always] channeled by socio-cultural factors" (Cannella & Reiff, 1994, p. 40). See also Forman, 1987; Fosnot, 1989; http://www.sedl.org/pubs/sedletter/v09n03/construct.html
Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) - The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC ) and the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division of Early Childhood (CEC/DEC) have developed a shared understanding of "appropriate" practices for young children that encompass a range or continuum of teaching methods and levels of structure to meet the individual needs of children. DAP requires that quality early childhood settings reflect philosophies, practices, and services by a team of professionals that have collaboratively examined their professional standards.
http://www.naeyc.org
Developmental Individual differences Relationship - based Approach (DIR) Developed by Stanley Greenspan and Serena Weidner, this biopsychosocial approach provides a model for considering the central role of emotional development and how it affects and is affected by individual physiology and development in all domains. The DIR approach to working with children is based on the idea that every child has his or her own profile of development that makes him or her a unique individual. The child’s interactions in relationships and family patterns are the primary vehicle for mobilizing development and growth. http://www.floortime.org/ft.php?page=Our%20Approach
The Reggio Emilia (Italy) Approach
The cornerstone of the Reggio Emilia philosophy is "the image of the child as rich in resources, strong, and competent" (Rinaldi, 1998). This philosophy draws upon the work of many in the field of child development including Erickson, Dewey, Piaget, Biber and Vygotsky. Early childhood programs using a Reggio Emilia philosophy believe that the image of the child is informed by theory and constructed when the educators, families and children spend time together observing, reflecting and discussing. Adults are engaged with children asking questions and exploring their world together.
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v2n1/glassman.html
Our Children and Families
The children in our Center have differing abilities, needs, cultures, ethnicities, means and family structures and we embrace the value of this diversity. They are strong individuals who are developing their abilities to construct their learning, engage in social interaction and negotiate with everything the environment brings them.
We believe that early childhood care and education go hand and hand as we look to challenge the individual child in his/her developmental growth.
We have four classrooms of infants starting at 12 weeks old and going up to approximately 18 months, four classrooms of toddlers ages 18 months through three, and four classrooms of preschoolers ages three to five. Children with and without identified disabilities learn, play and develop together in an inclusive environment in each of the classrooms.
Approximately 30% of our children are from families of Montclair State Students, another 30% are part of the families of Montclair State employees, and 40% are from the families from surrounding communities.
Each family member is an important and essential member of our community and is welcome to be in the Center and to participate in ways that make sense for all. That participation may be around the child/children, around his/her class, or the entire Center. The opinions of families are sought and valued. A few examples of participations include; serving on our Advisory Committee, providing curriculum resources, providing input regarding program, fundraising, or participating in workshops and social events.
Our Facility
Constructed in 2005, this Spanish-style building with its red tile roof and white stucco walls has plenty of space for children and adults. The 21,547 square foot building contains two classroom wings, each having classrooms for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and a little gym. As you enter the building you see and feel the warmth of sunlight from the overhead bell tower. A family bringing more than one child only need to deal with one wing and therefore is able to build relationships with everyone within that wing over time.
At the same time, the world of a very young child is a small world, so it is child-sized and friendly. As you walk into the classrooms you will recognize the accessibility of the low self-activating sinks, child size toilets, and paper towels within reach. In designing the center a great deal of attention was given to promoting a child’s independence. Our beautiful outdoor playgrounds provide several areas for children to run, climb, jump and play, all the while addressing their physical development. The outdoor areas also serve as an additional classroom, for exploring nature, reading stories, or partaking in a picnic lunch. The children especially delight in the arrival of the train, and it has become our school symbol.
Adult needs are equally well met. Each infant room has a private, quiet area for feeding, and parents are welcome and encouraged to visit throughout the day. A large learning center provides resource materials, as well as a place to hold meetings and social gatherings. We also host classes from the University that want to meet at our site, tour the facility and conduct observations.
Our Staff
Our employees, like our families and children, have differing abilities, needs, cultures, ethnicities, means, and family structures. We embrace and value this diversity. Also like our children and families, our employees are strong individuals who continually develop their abilities to construct their learning, engage in social interactions, and negotiate with everything the environment brings them.
The role of the adult at The Children's Center is that of an educator, a guide, a mentor, reflective partner, interventionist and resource. The adults aim to create safe, stimulating environments that promote active exploration and provide children with challenging experiences. They share thoughts and experiences around problems that need solving and questions that need answers. They interject assistance in the form of observations, reflections, questions and demonstrations in those spaces between what a child can accomplish independently and what a child can accomplish with a little help. The adult assumes multiple roles as needed - facilitator, mediator, expeditor, investigator - in effect, becoming a trusted part of "process" in each child's journey.
Hours
The Center is open from 7:30 AM to 6:15PM and with just a few exceptions, is open when the University is open and closed when it is closed.
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